BOSTON — Two young men from Massachusetts are facing federal charges in connection with a weekend explosion at Harvard Medical School, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Logan David Patterson, 18, of Plymouth, and Dominick Frank Cardoza, 20, of Bourne, are slated to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon in federal court in Boston on charges including conspiracy to damage property by means of fire or explosive, United States Attorney for Massachusetts Leah B. Foley said at a news conference.
According to an FBI affidavit, Patterson and Cardoza detonated a large commercial firework in a research lab locker on the fourth floor of the Goldenson Building at 220 Longwood Avenue just after 2:45 a.m. on Saturday. The building houses labs and offices associated with the school’s neurobiology department.
Security cameras captured two masked individuals lighting fireworks near the HMS campus before climbing scaffolding and accessing the roof of the Goldenson Building, according to investigators. Moments later, an explosion triggered a fire alarm.
The masked suspects were later seen fleeing the scene and discarding clothing. Surveillance footage from nearby campuses — including Wentworth Institute of Technology and MassArt — helped investigators track their movements and identify them.
Witnesses at Wentworth told police that Patterson and Cardoza had bragged about placing a “cherry bomb” in a locker and showed video of the explosion. One witness said the pair claimed they targeted a building that “looked abandoned.”
The Goldenson Building receives federal research funding and is used in interstate commerce, qualifying the incident for federal prosecution.
“The conduct alleged in the charging documents was not only irresponsible and risky; it was criminal,” Foley said at the news conference. “There are consequences for those who commit federal crimes.”
The FBI says both suspects were identified through RMV records and social media accounts, which matched surveillance footage from the scene.
Patterson and Cardoza were arrested early Tuesday morning after simultaneous search warrants were executed at their homes, according to Ted. E Docks, special agent in charge of FBI Boston.
“This explosive device had the potential to cause significant injury to anyone nearby,” Docks explained. “Let me be clear, setting off an explosive device inside a locker at an institution geared toward higher education is not some harmless college prank. It’s selfish, shortsighted, and it’s a federal crime.”
No injuries were reported, but the blast did cause some damage to the research facility.
Authorities say they are still analyzing the explosive device.
The incident remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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